Cash register



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1.

M. H. SMITH.

CASH REGISTER.

No. 566,481. Patented Aug. 25, 139.6.

3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

M. H. SMITH. CASH REGISTER.

No. 566,481. Patented Aug. 25, 1896.

f w f fillyi gzf im (N0 Mod-e15 3 Sheets-Sheet 3. M. H. SMITH.

CASH REGISTER.

Patented Aug. 25

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFI E.

MELVIN I-I. SMITH, OF GALIEN, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OF TNVO-THIRDS TORICHARD "W. MONTROSS, OF SAME PLACE.

CASH-REGISTER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 566,481, dated August25, 1896.

Application filed February 4:, 1895.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MELVIN I-I. SMITH, of Galien, in the county ofBerrien and State of Michigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Gash-Registers; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, referencebeing had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to a cash-register in which marked checks ortablets dropped into a slot of the casing serve as a means of checkingoff the contents of the cash-drawer-that is to say, tablets or checkseach bearing a numeral or numerals on its face to represent the amountof a purchase are inserted into a slot in the machine and ultimatelyenter a locked compartment of which the proprietor or other authorizedperson alone has the key, while the money received for the purchases orservices severally represented by the individual checks referred to isput into a separate drawer or receptacle which in practice will beaccessible for the purpose of making change.

The invention also embraces means of affording an indication of theamount of the last purchase made, such means consisting in the retentionin view, through a sight-opening in the casing, of the last check ortablet inserted into the slot before its final advance into the lockedreceptacle for such tablets or checks.

The invention also embraces means for releasing a locking cash-drawer,which means are acted upon in a forcible movement of the tablet lastinserted, which movement carries said tablet on its way from the slot tothe tablet-receptacle and is produced by the operator after itsinsertion into the slot in the casing. When the indication is efiected,the movement by which the tablet is brought into view is that by whichthe cash-drawer is opened.

While the invention embodying one or more of the above features isadaptedfor use in general merchandizin g, in which case the apparatusmay contain but a single slot, a single tablet-receptacle, and a singlecash-drawer,

said invention is shown in the accompanying Serial No. 537,251. (Nomodel.)

drawings as having three slots, three tabletchutes leading to threeseparate tablet-receptacles, and three separate cash-drawers, each oneof which is automatically locked when closed, is opened by a spring, andis released only by the tablets inserted into a particular one of thetablet-slots. In this multiple construction the machine is adapted forspecial uses, as, for example, the use of barbers in a shop employing anumber of barbers corresponding with the number of tablet-chutes andcash-drawers. Each barber in this case inserts the tablets representinghis services into a particular one of the slots or chutes and is givenaccess to a particular one of the cash-drawers, for the contents ofwhich he is responsible as checked off at night or at other time bycomparison with the contents of the tablet-receptacle assigned to hisexclusive use. The number of tablet-slots, chutes, and tablet and cashdrawers may of course be Varied as may be desired or as the particularbusiness for which the apparatus is employed may require. So, also, asingle tablet-receptacle or locked drawer may be made to serve inconnection with a plurality of chutes and cash-drawers, providedrecognizably dissimilar tablets be assigned to the different salesmen oremployees.

Other variations, modifications, and adaptations of the inventionare ofcourse practicable.

In the said accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of mylmproved cash-' register in triple form. Fig. 2 is a vertical sectionfrom front to rear on the line 2 2 of Figs. 1 and 3. Fig. 3 is a view ofthe interior of the machine with the back of the casing removed and insection 3 3 of the automatic latches of the cash-drawers, as shown inFig. 2. Fig. 41- is a fragment of the top of the machine in frontelevation. Fig. 5 isa top view of the mechanism by which a tabletinserted in either of the slots in the top of the casing is moved to aposition opposite a sight-hole in the front of the casing and thereretained in view of the purchaser. Fig. 6 illustrates a part of thistablet-moving mechanism, in front view, in the act of moving a tabletfrom beneath the slot at which it was admitted toward the receiving endof the adjacent chute, the tablet in its movement engaging and lifting aconnection with the cashdrawer latch, by which the drawer is releasedand allowed to spring open to permit the money to be placed therein andchange to be made by the operator, if desired. Fig. 7 is a detail invertical section through a sighthole in the casing of the apparatus.Fig. 8 represents one of a series of tablets adapted for use with theregister and constituting part of the apparatus.

Describing this triple form of the machine exactly as shown, A A Arepresent the casing of the machine, B a tablet-receptacle, and O O Ccash-drawers. Each of the cashdrawers 0 when pushed in is automaticallylocked by means of a spring-actuated hook O, and, when said hook israised, is automatically thrown outwardly far enough to preventreengagement of said hook C by aspring 0 arranged and suitably supportedat the rear of the drawer C. The drawer Bis secured in its closedposition by a lock, the key I) of which will be retained in the hands ofsome authorized person. Said drawer Bis illustrated as being providedwith three separate detachable interior receptacles B, with each ofwhich communicates one of three chutes D. The top piece A of the casin gis provided with three slots at (6 a a, which are out of line with theupper ends of the chutes D, but are in the same vertical plane therewith.

E is a fixed horizontal bar or ledge in line with and on a level withthe upper ends of the chutes D, its front edge being cut away, as shownat c in Fig. 5, to permit a tablet T to drop into either of said chutes.Said ledge E rests against a glass plate a, which forms part of theupper front A of the casing and is situated far enough below the topplate A of the casing to allow a tablet T, resting on the ledge E, to bemoved horizontally between said ledge and the top piece of the casing. Fis a horizontally-movable bar provided with shoulders f, projectingtoward the front of the casing and touching or closely proximating theglass plate a of the latter, the

spaces f between the shoulders f being of depth slightly greater thanthe thickness of a tablet T and in width preferably about double thediameter of the tablet. Said longitudinally-movable bar F is arrangedwith its median line at a distance above the ledge E about equal toone-half the diameter of the gablets and is suitably guided in fixedguides H is a bell-crank lever having a fixed pivot h at its angle, andits upper arm h engages a stud f on the sliding bar F, said bell-crankhaving its lower and horizontal arm connected with a vertical rod ll,which protrudes through the top plate of the casing, where it isprovided with a knob H by which said rod may be depressed to give ahorizontal movement to the bar F.

I is a spring connected at one end with the sliding bar F and at theother to a fixed point for the retraction of the bar F afterhandpressure upon the knob H shall have been removed. The slots at inthe casing are arranged to permit a tablet T to be dropped througheither of them upon the ledge E and into a recess f in and adjacent to ashoulder f upon the sliding bar F, the horizontal distance between thereceiving-slot a and the top of the adjacent chute D being such that afull movement of the bell-crank H will push the tablet last inserted farenough upon the ledge to receive another tablet behind it, but not farenough to deliver it into the adjacent chute. This horizontal distancebetween the slot and the chute is, however, such that a second tabletdropped into the slot behind that just referred to, and moved to theextent that the bar F will carryit,will push the previously-advancedtablet from the ledge into said adjacent chute D. The front of thecasing is provided with sight-holes J, opposite to which thelast-received tablet is moved by one forward thrust of the bar F, sothat while said tablet remains upon the ledge E the numeral or numeralsupon its face are visible through said sight-hole, thus indicating tothe purchaser or others the amount of the last sale.

K is alight spring which sufficiently presses the tablet against theglass plate a to retain it in place opposite the sight-hole when the barF is retracted.

M M are vertical rods connected at their lower ends with the free endsof the drawer catches C and extending above the sliding bar F throughguides m m. At their upper ends said rods M are each provided with asmall roller m, beneath which the tablets are successively forced in thefirst movements given them severally by said sliding bar F, as abovedescribed. Each tablet therefore gives to the rod M an upward movementin the first horizontal movement given said tablet by the bar F, causingthe catch 0 of the appropriate drawer O to be raised and thus to releasesaid drawer. By the action of the spring 0 the drawer is then opened andmade accessible to receive the cash or to permit of making change.

Fig. 6 illustrates, by full lines, a tablet being given its firstmovement by the bar F and in position to raise the drawer-releasing rodM. Said figure also illustrates a previouslyinserted tablet beingadvanced toward the mouth of the adjacent chute D by such first movementof the tablet last inserted. Dotted lines represent the tablet lastinserted after the completion of its first full movement by which it isbrought opposite a sight-hole, and also the tablet previously insertedentering the chute. Any of many wellknown devices may be employed inconnection with the rod 11 or other reciprocating part to insure itsfull actuation before it will return, so as to make the proper operationof the machine necessary.

N represents a bell or gong, and N a hammer actuated by the bell-crank Hfor the purpose of striking the gong and giving a signal of theoperation of the machine.

Manifestly the desired horizontal movement may be given to the slidingbar F by any suitable means other than vthe bell-crank and vertical rodH, and other mechanical changes may be made without departure from theinvention. In case the machine be constructed with a single slot andchute the bellcrank may be arranged to directly engage the tabletinstead of doing so through the medium of the sliding bar F, which,though practicable in a single machine, is more especially desirable ina multiple machine of the kind illustrated in the drawings.

The operation of the apparatus is apparent from the above description.That is to say, a salesman, barber, or other person having made a saleor rendered a service drops into a slot at a tablet bearing on its facea number which expresses the value of such purchase or service. Amovement of the external operating device carries said tablet to aposition opposite the sight-hole of the casing, and said movingmechanism automatically returns to its original position ready to admitanother tablet,leavin g the tablet first inserted andj ust moved inposition to be observed by the purchaser. The insertion of the secondtablet, representing on its face the value of the second purchase orservice, and its movement to a position in front of the sight-hole,carries the first tablet into an adjacent chute D, through which itdrops to the tablet-receptacle B or B, which is accessible only to anauthorized person holding the key thereof.

, When any tablet is inserted and moved to a position in front of asight-hole, the cashdrawer or the appropriate one of several cashdrawersis opened and the money received for the purchase deposited therein,change being made, if required. The cash-drawer is then supposed to beshut, and, if so, it remains inaccessible until another sale has beenmade and its representative tablet has been inserted and advanced to aposition in front of the adjacent sight-hole, as above described.

If an indication of the purchase is not desired, the sight-hole may beomitted, and, in that case, the chute may be arranged in position toreceive the tablet at the end of its first movement. In the use of thesight-hole, which involves the retention of a tablet at such sight-holeat the close of the day, said tablet may, when the cash is to becompared with the checks or tablets, be advanced to the chute by the useof a blank tablet inserted by the person in charge of the register, themovement of this blank tablet causing the last-inserted tablet bearing anumber to be dropped into the chute. This blank will be itself carriedto the chute in the registration of the first purchase on the next dayand will later be found in the tablet-receptacle. By reason of itsbeingblank, however,it will out no figure in comparing the cash with thesum of amounts represented on the tablets at the time of the nextaccounting. In this construction of the machine, therefore, a fullseries of tablets should embrace two blanks for each chute, one of whichwill be carried to the receptacle on the first purchase in the morningand the other inserted into the machine to force the lastpurchase tabletinto the machine at night and before opening the tablet-receptacle.

I claim as my invention- 1. In a cash-registering apparatus, thecombination with a casing containing a locking cash-drawer, a lockedtablet-receptacle, a slot to receive tablets and a chute or passagebetween the slot and the tablet-receptacle, adapted to permit freeentrance of tablets to a point beyond access, of a series of tabletsrepresenting different values, mechanism operated from the outside ofthe casing for giving forcible movement to a tablet after it has enteredthe slot in the casing, and means for releasing the cash-drawer in suchforcible movement of the tablet within the casing.

2. In a cash-registering and purchase-indicating apparatus, thecombination with a casing having a locking cash-drawer, a lockedtablet-receptacle, a slot to receive tablets, a chute or passage betweenthe slot and the tablet-receptacle, and a sight-aperture in the path ofthe tablet from the slot to the tabletreceptacle, of a series of tabletsrepresenting different values, a cash-drawer-releasing device adapted tobe operated by forcible movement of a tablet before it reaches thesightaperture on its way to the tablet-receptacle within the casing,means for arresting and retaining the tablet in visible but inaccessibleposition, and mechanism for forcibly moving a tablet from opposite thesight-aperture along the passage within the casing.

3. In a cash-registering apparatus, the combination with a casing havinga slot for the reception of tablets representing different values, of alocked tablet-receptacle, a lock ing cash-receptacle, a chute fortablets connecting with the slot by a passage, means operated fromoutside the casing for forcing a tablet along this passage and means forreleasing the cash-drawer that is actuated by engagement with a tabletin the forced movement of said tablet along said passage.

4:. In a cash-registering apparatus, the combination, with a casingprovided with a locked tablet-receptacle, a locking cash-drawer and aslot for the admission of tablets representing different values; of achute leading to the tablet-receptacle and having its receiving end incommunication with the slot by a horizontal passage; ahorizontally-reciprocating, antomatically retracted, pushing device forforcing a tablet along said horizontal passage and actuated by a partwhich protrudes through the casing, and means for releasing thecash-drawer in such forced movement of the tablet by direct engagementwith the tablet.

5. In a cash-registering apparatus, the combinationpvith a casingprovided with a locked tablet receptacle or receptacles, a plurality ofcash-drawers and a plurality of slots for tablets to represent differentvalues, of a plurality of chutes corresponding in number with the numberof cash-drawers and the number of slots, said chutes being severally incommunication with the slots by horizontal passages; a horizontallyreciprocating pushing device adapted to force a tablet from beneatheither of said slots toward an adjacent chute, said pushing device beingautomatically retractive and actuated from outside the casing, and adrawer-releasin g device connected with the catch of each cash-drawerand adapted to be actuated by engagement with a tablet in its forcedmovement toward the chute, whereby the apparatus is adapted to be usedby a number of different persons and to afford means for checking thecash handled by each of such persons with the tablets representing hisindividual transactions.

6. In combination, a casing provided wit-h a slot in its top for thereception of tablets representing values, and also provided with atablet-receptacle an d a locking eash-drawer; a ledge arranged beneaththe slot; a chute leading from the ledge to the tablet-receptacle andhaving its receiving end out of vertical line with the slot; a frontpiece adjacent to the ledge and provided with a sight-hole between theslot and the chute-opening; an automatically-retracted pushing deviceactuated from the exterior of the machine and adapted to carry a tabletfrom beneath the slot to a place where it is visible through the

